Child Nutrition Services

Dear Vanguard Academy Family,

 

Vanguard Academy Child Nutrition Program is blessed to serve our community for the 2023-2024 school year.

 

Meals, food and beverages sold or served at schools meet state and federal requirements based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines. All meals, foods and beverages are prepared and served by qualified child nutrition professionals. We provide students with access to a variety of affordable and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students.

 

School menu is subject to change at any time without an advance notice due to circumstances beyond our control. 

 

The attachments below are the Local Wellness Plan and Local Wellness Policy that were Board approved on May 23rd, 2023.

Key things you need to know about leading a healthy lifestyle are:

• Eat a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables and whole grain products
• Control portion sizes and never "supersize"
• Get active for at least 60 minutes, five times a week for ages 6-18
• Avoid tobacco and illegal drugs all together

Well-nourished students have higher test scores, increased school attendance, improved concentration, and improved classroom behavior. Students, who are physically fit, sleep better and are better able to handle the physical and emotional challenges that they encounter during the day.

• Your body needs healthy fuel to perform, to grow and to ward off illness and disease. 
• Good nutrition has a positive and direct impact on your ability to do well in school.
• When your nutritional needs are met, you have the cognitive energy to learn and achieve.
• You will be better prepared to learn, more likely to attend school, and are more apt to take advantage of learning opportunities.

• Protein is an indispensable nutrient and can be found throughout every tissue in our body. Protein is a vital source of energy but the most important function of protein is building and repairing tissue. Protein ins needed for our immune function, proteins transport vitamins and minerals throughout our body.

• Eating grains, especially whole grains, provides health benefits. Dietary fiber from whole grains, may help reduce blood cholesterol levels and lower risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including several B vitamins, magnesium and selenium.

• Eating vegetables provides health benefits — people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.

• Eating fruit provides health benefits — people who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Fruits provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.

• Milk and dairy products are especially important to bone health during school aged years, when bone mass is being built. It provides important sources of calcium, potassium and vitamin D, and help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and help to lower blood pressure in adults.

Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at:  https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf , from any USDA office, by calling 866-632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
   833-256-1665 or 202-690-7442; or
3. email:
   [email protected]

 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.